frontpage Posted by PennyFound | Staff • Mar 24, 2025
Mar 24, 2025 6:49 PM
Item 1 of 4
Item 1 of 4
frontpage Posted by PennyFound | Staff • Mar 24, 2025
Mar 24, 2025 6:49 PM
Fiskars Soil Block Maker
$5.55
$17
67% offWalmart
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You raise a valid concern, but unfortunately you tried to answer it with likely little basis in valid evidence. Styrofoam is a simple and very stable molecule. There is no strong indications that growing in Styrofoam cups at the seedling stage has significant effects on absorption of toxins into fruits and vegetables that come months after transplanting and have roots mainly in soil that never contacted Styrofoam. Then you'd have to look at whether watering washes away the theoretical leaching you are concerned about.
Like I said, I think your concern is valid, but where is the evidence of this measured contamination in growing seedlings in well drained potting soil in Styrofoam cups? Some studies show minor effects, and some even show beneficial effects, but in both cases, the researchers are purposely contaminating the soil with levels of polystyrene microplastics that would not occur from starting plants indoors for a few weeks. Even storing food in direct contact with polystyrene is considered safe so long as it isn't heated.
"Research suggests that polystyrene microplastics can sometimes stimulate plant growth, particularly root elongation, potentially by increasing carbon and nitrogen levels in the plants."
I put herbs in the 16oz. cups. I put big plant mass vegetable on the 20oz. cups.
Should be able to get at least 10 years of crops out of them, and protected from sun in the garage, I wouldn't be surprized if they last decades. Styrofoam is also an excellent insulator for the roots from rapid temperature swings. On year five now.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank jayteds
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank nyospe
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Selman
I put herbs in the 16oz. cups. I put big plant mass vegetable on the 20oz. cups.
Should be able to get at least 10 years of crops out of them, and protected from sun in the garage, I wouldn't be surprized if they last decades. Styrofoam is also an excellent insulator for the roots from rapid temperature swings. On year five now.
I was thinking the same. I use a plastic cup and a toothpick to poke a hole to bury the seed.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Selman
Why not use an unlined paper water cup? or those cardboard formed potters?
Styrofoam is environmentally harmful in a sense, but probably not as much as repeatedly buying bleached wood pulp that is trucked around every year. You'd certainly be releasing more CO2 emissions that way. Nevermind that unlined paper cups mold and begin to disintegrate after watering or that waxed paper cups are lined with petroleum distillate.
You raise a valid concern, but unfortunately you tried to answer it with likely little basis in valid evidence. Styrofoam is a simple and very stable molecule. There is no strong indications that growing in Styrofoam cups at the seedling stage has significant effects on absorption of toxins into fruits and vegetables that come months after transplanting and have roots mainly in soil that never contacted Styrofoam. Then you'd have to look at whether watering washes away the theoretical leaching you are concerned about.
Like I said, I think your concern is valid, but where is the evidence of this measured contamination in growing seedlings in well drained potting soil in Styrofoam cups? Some studies show minor effects, and some even show beneficial effects, but in both cases, the researchers are purposely contaminating the soil with levels of polystyrene microplastics that would not occur from starting plants indoors for a few weeks. Even storing food in direct contact with polystyrene is considered safe so long as it isn't heated.
"Research suggests that polystyrene microplastics can sometimes stimulate plant growth, particularly root elongation, potentially by increasing carbon and nitrogen levels in the plants."
How many offspring do you have now? 😆
One too many 😝
I put herbs in the 16oz. cups. I put big plant mass vegetable on the 20oz. cups.
Should be able to get at least 10 years of crops out of them, and protected from sun in the garage, I wouldn't be surprized if they last decades. Styrofoam is also an excellent insulator for the roots from rapid temperature swings. On year five now.
How high are you filling up the cups with soil? Do you fill them up the first go round or do you add more as the plant gets bigger?
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank Selman
I fill them completely with loosely packed budget potting mix. After watering several times, the soil compacts leaving about an inch of space at the top of the cup that helps contain water poured on them. I make several holes at the bottom edge with a chopstick.
I give them a lot of soil mass that results in big healthy plants before transplanting. By the time the plants are 8-12" high, they are usually so root bound that the come out as a solid perfect block for transplanting. You gently crush the cups on the outside without breaking them to loosen things up, and then a tap on the bottom and the whole root mass slides right out.
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